How to use colour theory for your corporate identity?

Colours are not only beautiful to look at, but they can also evoke a wide range of emotions. They can instill confidence or bring happiness. As a company, you can effectively leverage this, just as many others have successfully done before you.

Primary, secondary and tertiary colors

First of all, you need to know a few basic things. There is the colour wheel, which is divided into three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. With these three colours, you can create all the colours in the colour wheel. When you mix any two of these primary colours, you get the secondary colours: orange, violet, and green. Finally, there are also the tertiary colours, also called intermediate colours. I'll use blue and red as an example to explain:

When you mix the two primary colours blue and red, you get the secondary colour violet. If you add more red than blue, you get a tertiary colour that leans more towards red. If you add more blue than red, the tertiary colour leans more towards blue.

Complementary, analogous and triadic colors

Now you know which colors are on a colour wheel, but how do you know which ones are best to use? There are a number of rules for this. The three most important are: complementary, analogous and triadic.

Complementary colours are colours that are diametrically opposed to each other on the colour wheel. If you want to know what red's complementary colour is, look at what's on the other side; in this case, it is green.

Analogous colours are colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel. For example, if you choose green, the tertiary colours next to it will match. This often provides a calmer image than, for example, triadic colours. Use one of the colours as the main colour and the others as supporting colours.

Triadic colours are three colours that are exactly the same distance apart on the colour wheel, so you could draw a triangle between them with all sides being the same length. It is also recommended to use one of these colours as the main colour and the other two as supporting colours to create a harmonious image.

What emotions are evoked by the colors?

Below, I have made a list of which colors on the color wheel evoke which emotions and how they can be used:

Primary and secondary colors

Red:

Emotions: Energy, passion, love, anger, danger

Applications: Red clothing can stand out and be attractive, but can also radiate aggression.

Yellow:

Emotions: Joy, energy, optimism, attention

Applications: Yellow is often used in warning signals due to its high visibility and association with alertness.

Blue:

Emotions: Calmness, reliability, serenity, melancholy

Applications: Blue is often used in business purposes to radiate confidence and professionalism.

Orange (mixture of red and yellow):

Emotions: Enthusiasm, creativity, adventure

Uses: Orange can be stimulating and is often used in marketing to convey energy and vitality.

Green (mixture of blue and yellow):

Emotions: Peace, growth, nature, balance

Uses: Green is often associated with health and sustainability, and is often used in environments that seek to promote relaxation and balance.

Violet (mixture of red and blue):

Emotions: Luxury, mystery, spirituality, creativity

Applications: Purple is often used to convey a feeling of luxury and exclusivity.

With tertiary colours it depends on which colour is the dominant colour to determine what emotions it brings and is therefore a bit more nuanced.

Neutral colours

Black:

Emotions: Power, elegance, mystery, sadness

Applications: Black is often used in fashion and design for a chic and timeless look, but can also evoke gloom.

White:

Emotions: Purity, simplicity, innocence, emptiness

Applications: White is often used to convey cleanliness and minimalism, and can give a feeling of space and brightness.

Gray:

Emotions: Neutrality, balance, dullness, wisdom

Applications: Gray is often used in business and modern design settings for a timeless and neutral appearance.

Tools you can use

To make it easy for yourself, there are many tools available online that will help you choose the right colors. For example, Canva has a color picker tool that shows you exactly which colours match well with the colour you have chosen.

Conclusion

By applying the principles of colour theory, you can choose strategic colours that enhance your brand message and evoke desired emotions in your target audience. Using the right colour schemes can not only make a logo visually appealing, but also be a powerful tool for brand identity and recognition.

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